Life-saving suit.



G. G. WALLE.

LIFE SAVING SUIT.

APPLICATION FILED 00124, 1913.

1,095,051 Patented Apr. 28, 19M

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

WITNESSES Cali a Walk 0 INVENTOR C. G. WALLE,

Ln? SAVING SUIT.

APPLIGMIQH TILED 001". 2:1v L918.

Z SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Patented Apr. 28, 19M

8 E 8 8 n H W m/ 0 l I ATTORNEYS subject of the King "suit to hold the wearer UNITED STATES CARL G. WALLE, OF NEW YORK, N. ,Y.

LIFE-SAVING SUIT.

To all whom it mag concern:

Be it known that I. CARL G. WALLE, =1

of Norway, and a resident of the city 0 New York, borough of Brooklyn. in the county of Kings and State of New York. have invented a new and Improved Life-Saving Suit. of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The object of the invention is to provide a new and improved life-saving suit designed for wear by life-savers, travelers or other persons on board of a marine vessel especially in impending shipwreck, and ar ranged to keep the wearer afloat in the water, to allow convenient use of the arms and legs for swimming and other purposes, and to protect the wearer against cold or icy waters.

In order to accomplish the desired result use is made of a coat and trousers each having an integral tubular waistband of an elastic material, the waistband of the coat and the waistband of the trousers overlying one theother to insure a snug fit at the waist of the wearer with a View to prevent water from passing into the suit. Use is also made of a cap of elastic material extending from the neck-piece of the suit and provided with a front rim and a tying band engaging the hood in the rear of the rim to cause the hood to snugly fit on the head of the wearer. Use is further made of wristlets in the sleeves of an elastic material and use is also made of slippers integrally connected with the lower ends of the trouser legs, and ankle bands on the trouser legs for drawing the lower ends of the trouser legs firmly in position. Use is also made of a life-saving corset or vest adapted to be worn by the wearer of the life-saving from sinking.

A practical embodiment of the invention is represented in the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the coat, part of one sleeve being shown in section and one flap of the outside covering being shown open; Fig. 2 is a similar view of the trousers with the waist belt and the ankle and slipper fasteners in open position; Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the suit as applied; Fig. 4 is a cross section of the overlying waistbands and the; belt for holding the same in place: Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed October 24. 191.3.

Patented Apr. 28, 1914.

Serial No. 797,059.

suit with one of the flaps of the coat open to (ll (.l()S(f the life-preserving corset or vest; Fig. 0 is a front elevation of the 1 section; Fig. 4 is a sideelevation of the same; and Fig. 8 is a sectional plan view of the same. The life-saving suit consists essentially of a: coat A and trousers B, both made of a; waterproof material. The coat A has it body C provided at the top with a neckpiece D terminating in a hood E of rubber or other elastic and waterproof material to fit snugly onto the head of the wearer, as plainly indicated in Fig. 3. The front of the hood E is provided with a welt or a rim E and a band F engages the hood D immediately in the rear of the welt E so as t snugly fit the front open end onto the head of the wearer, that is, over the head, the

and under the chin to pr esides of the face vent water from passing into the suit at this point. The band F is preferably held in a loop E arranged on the top of the head E and forming part thereof. \Vhen the hood is not used it may be folded down onto the neck-piece D and under the usual coat collar G.

The sleeves H of the coat are provided within their terminals with wristlets I of an elastic waterproof material such as rubber, the wristlets being connected by gathered bands I to the inside of the sleeve H. The outer end of each wristlet I is preferably provided with a rim or a welt I to reinforce the wristlet. By the arrangement described the \vristlets I fit snugly on the wrists of the wearer to prevent water from entering the suit at these points.

The lower ly C of the coat end of the 130C A terminates in a waistband J of rubber or other elastic and min-ating at its lower edge in an annular welt or a rim J. H

The trousers B are provided with a'body L having legs N terminating attheir lower ends in integral slippers buckles and straps P adapted to extend OR?! the instep of the foot to securely hold the slippers O in place. The lower or ankle portions of the trouser legs N are provided with anklets or hands Q having fastening devices R such as buckles and straps for securely fastening the anklets around the lower portion of the legs to hold the same life-preserving corset or vest wlth parts in 6Q waterproof material, the waistband being of suitable width and ter- 0 provided with snugly in position on the ankles ot the wearers legs.

The body L4 of the trousers B is provided at the top with a waistband S similar to the waistband J and likewise made of rubber or other elastic and waterproof material, and the upper end of this waistband S is provided with a welt or rim S. lVhen the life-saving suit is worn the waists J and S overlie one the other, as plainly indicated in Fig. 4, and use is made of a belt T passing around the outermost waist between the welts J and S so as to snugly fasten the overlying waists in position on the wearers body. The belt T is provided at its front ends with suitable fastening devices T for fastening the ends of the belt together.

In order to give the life-saving suit the appearance of a traveling suit, use is made of a covering U secured to the back of the body C of the coat A, the covering being provided with front flaps U adapted to be fastened along their upperedges by buttonholes U and buttons U to the front upper portion of the body C. The flaps U are also provided along their front sides with buttonholes U A belt V is adapted to be passed around the covering U at the waist of the wearer, as plainly indicated in Figs. 1 and 3, and this belt V passes through loops U held on the covering U. The front ends of the belt V are provided with suitable fastening devices V for 010s ing the belt, It will be noticed that by the use of the covering U the overlapping waistbands J and S are completely covered up and the suit has the appearance of an ordinary traveling suit.

In conjunction with the life-saving suit use may be made of a life preserving corsetor a vest X, such as shown in Figs. 5, 6, 7 and This garment is preferably made of blocks X of cork or other similar material held between outer and inner flaps X X, it being understood that the blocks give the desired buoyancy to prevent the user from sinking in the water. The corset or vest X is provided with shoulder straps X for supporting the garment from the shoulders of the wearer, it being understood that the corset or vest can be worn over the body C but under the covering U, as indicated in Fig. 5. However, the garment may be worn under the life-saving suit or outside of the ,same to suit the convenience of the wearer.

The corset or vest X is preferably open at the front and is provided with fastening devices X for conveniently fastening the several open sides together.

It will be noticed that when the lifesaving suit is worn water cannot pass to the inside of the suit as ingress at the head is prevented by the closely fitting hood E, ingress is prevented at the sleeves by the and buttons U to fasten the overlying sides together.

.wristlets I, and ingress is prevented at the waist by the overlying bands J and S. As

the lower ends of the trouser legs N are completely closed water cannot enter at this point. The trousers 3 may be provident with suitable pockets W for containing food or other articles.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A life-saving suit comprising a coat and trousers of waterproof material, the said coat having an integral neck-piece terminating in an integral elastic hood, the said coat having sleeves provided with wristlets and. the said coat having an integral aist-band of an elastic material, the said trouser having integral slippers at the ends of the trouser legs and the trousers having an integral waist-band of an elastic material, the said coat waist-band and the said trouser waist-band overlying one the other and having relatively broad bearing surfaces and welts at their edges which are spaced apart when the waist-bands are lapped.

2. A lifesaving suit, comprising-a coat and trousers of waterproof material, the said coat having an integral neck-piece terminating in an integral elastic hood, the said coat having sleeves provided with wristlets and the said coat having an integral waist-band of an elastic material, the said trousers having integral slippers at the ends of the trouser legs and the trousers having an integral waist-band of an elastic materiahthe said coat waist-band and the said trouser waist-band overlying one the other, and the said coat waist-band having at its lower edge an annular welt and the said trouser waistband having at its upper end an annular welt, and a belt encircling the outer waist-band adjacent the said welts.

3. A life-saving suit comprising a coat and trouser ofwaterproof material, the coat and trousers having elastic waist bands one overlying the other, the waist bands having annular welts at their terminal edges, and a belt adapted to encircle the said overlying waist bands and to seat between the welts.

4. A life-saving coat of a waterproof material provided with a collar having fastening means and with an integral neck-piece within the collar terminating in an integral hood of a flexible material.

5. A life-saving coat of a waterproof material, provided with an outer protecting c01- lar and an integral inner neck-piece terminating in an integral hood of a flexible material, the sleeves of the coat being provided with integral Wristlets of elastic material and the coat having an integral; Waist band of an elastic material.

'6. A life-saving coat of a waterproof material provided with an integral neck-piece terminatin in an integral hood of flexible material, t e said hood having a front rim or welt, and a band extending around the hood in the rear of the said rim or welt.

7. A life-saving coat of a waterproof material, provided with an integral neck-piece terminating in an integral hood of a flexible material, the said hood having a front rim, a top loop, and a band held by the said loop and adapted to encircle the hood adjacent the said front rim.

8. A life-saving coat of a waterproof material, provided with an integral neck-piece terminatin" in an integral hood of a flexible materiall, and a collar on the coat adapted to conceal the said hood when the latter is not used.

9. A life-saving coat provided with a body of waterproof material, the body having sleeves, a collar, an integral neck-piece, a hood ofelastic material extending from the neck-piece, sleeves provided with wristlets of elastic material, a waist band of an elastic material, and an outside covering attached to the back of the body and having front flaps adapted to be fastened together.

10. A life-saving coat provided with a body of waterproof material, the body having sleeves, a collar, an integral neck-piece, a hood of elastic material extending from the neck-piece, sleeves provided with wristlets of elastic material, a waist band of an elastic material, an outside covering at tached to the back of the body and having front flaps adapted to be fastened-together, and a belt for the said outside covering.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CARL Gr. WALLE.

Witnesses;

JAMES F. MONEVIN, VTCTOR KRUGH. 

